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Safety concerns over Pokemon Go

Posted at 7:09 PM, Jul 11, 2016
and last updated 2016-07-12 21:01:35-04

As the popularity of Pokemon Go skyrockets, safety is becoming a concern.

There have been reports around the country of armed robberies being helped along by the game's GPS location system.

Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department officials say they haven't encountered any incidents related to Pokemon Go.

When users open the game, there's a warning to be aware of surroundings.

Many players are conscious of the dangers.

"I generally stay in an area where there's a lot of people," said Jessica Simons, who plays in Henderson. "I stay in my parks, I stay in my neighborhood. I don't venture out that far."
 
Simons said if she's playing at night, she'll bring a flashlight and wear bright colors.
 
The Regional Flood Control District in Southern Nevada warned gamers to be wary of washes and flood channels.
 
"Just like you don't play hide and seek in the washes, don't go and try to catch your Pokémon in the washes," said Beatriz Martinez with Regional Flood Control.
 
Several businesses are seeing a boost from the game because they've been selected as locations called gyms where players can battle with their Pokemon.
 
"We certainly had a lot more foot traffic, a lot more people have been interested in trying to become the gym leader here so that's always kind of exciting," said Tim Wheeler, an employee at Maximum Comics in Henderson. "Two days ago 30 people came in here."